Charles Carmell

Charles Carmell, farmer, section 3, Sylvan Towsnhip, was born Dec. 31, 1836, in Marine City, St. Clair Co., Mich. His father, Moses Carmell, was born in the Dominion of Canada, and descended from French ancestors. He was a carpenter and joiner, and pursued his vocation at Marien City until his death in 1867. Julia (Cushway) Carmell, his mother, was born, married, and passed the entire course of her life at Marine City. She was of French descent, and died about 1848, leaving seven children. Two of her children's deaths preceded hers. Mr. Carmell remained in the protecting care of his father until 17 years old. At that age he became a saw-mill assistant in the lumber mills of his native county and acquired superior skill in the position of sawyer. He pursued that business during the winter seasons and through the summers of several years he was a sailor on the lakes, operating at first as a common seaman, and later as first mate. In 1856 he went to Saginaw City, where he was a sawyer in the extensive lumber mills for some years. Meanwhile he purchased a home in South Saginaw and resided there until 1872, working at his trade, and as foreman for a boom company. He went thence to Lowell, Kent County, where he remained 11 months, going from that place to Evart, Osceola County. In the spring of 1877 he purchased 40 acres in Sylvam Township, all in timber and situated on the line of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, where he established a permanent home, went vigorously to work to reclaim his land from its wild state, and he now has 20 acres under cultivation, with comfortable buildings.

Mr. Carmell was married April 24, 1859, in East Saginaw to Mary A. McNally. She was born Aug. 26, 1838, in County Down Ireland. Her parents, Thomas and Mary A. (forley) McNally, came from Ireland to America in 1852, and located primarily in albany Co., N.Y., where the entire household were employed in the cotton factories situated at Cohoes. After a stay there of four years, they came to Michigan and settled in the forest on the Flint River, 16 miles from East Saginaw, and at so early a period that it was still an unbroken wilderness and inhabited by Indians. Later, the daughter went to East Saginaw, where she was soon after married. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Carmell: Lizzie (Mrs. Birdsall), Josephine and Willie; the latter died in infancy.

Return to: [Osceola County MIGenWeb Page]
Return to: [Index to Bios]